Manchester United to play Wizards in July at Arrowhead

The Kansas City Wizards will play English Premier League powerhouse Manchester United to inaugurate the new Arrowhead Stadium at 5 p.m. Sunday, July 25.

ABOUT THE GAME

What: Kansas City Wizards vs. Manchester United

When: 5 p.m. Sunday, July 25

Where: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.

Tickets: Range from $30 to $200 and will go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 15. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-745-3000, or by visiting Kansas City area Ticketmaster outlets or the Arrowhead Stadium box office. Premium tickets, VIP opportunities and group tickets can be purchased by calling the Wizards at 888-4KC-GOAL.

There is also a special presale for Kansas City Wizards and Kansas City Chiefs season ticket holders beginning immediately. A ticket to the Wizards/Manchester United game is included in the Kansas City Wizards season ticket holder package, and Wizards season ticketholders will use their special game tickets for the game on July 25. Wizards season ticket holders can reserve their seats online at http://www.kcwizards.com/ManU or by calling 888-4KC-GOAL.

Fans who purchase new Wizards season tickets before May 15 will get a ticket to the Manchester United game, and will also be able to take part in the presale. Season tickets start at $150 and can be purchased by calling 888-4KC-GOAL.

Parking: $25

The game will be the third stop on Manchester United’s historic summer tour of North America. Though the Red Devils, as they are affectionately known, have conducted preseason tours of North America in the past, this summer will be the first time the squad will play teams from Major League Soccer.

“This will be one of the biggest sporting events the Midwest has ever seen, and it's a great opportunity for Kansas City to show that we deserve to be one of the host cities for the World Cup,” said Wizards President and OnGoal CEO Robb Heineman. “When OnGoal purchased the Wizards, we anticipated bringing high-profile teams like Manchester United to Kansas City, and with our new stadium opening in 2011, our fans can expect more games of this caliber in the future. We are incredibly excited to be able to partner with the Hunt family to bring this massive event to our city.”

“We are very excited to welcome Manchester United as the first event in the buildup to the grand opening of the New Arrowhead,” said Chiefs Chairman Clark Hunt. “Manchester United is one of the most popular brands in all of sports, and we’re thrilled to have them make their inaugural appearance in Kansas City in the New Arrowhead this July.”

Tickets, which range from $30 to $200, will go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 15, and can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-745-3000, or by visiting Kansas City area Ticketmaster outlets or the Arrowhead Stadium box office.

Kansas City Wizards and Kansas City Chiefs season ticket holders can purchase tickets immediately. A ticket to the Wizards vs. Manchester United game is included in the Wizards season ticket member package via special game tickets.

Founded in 1878, Manchester United Football Club is one of the most successful clubs in soccer history. The team has won a total of 50 major English trophies, including 18 league titles (tied for most all-time), 11 FA Cups (most all-time), four League Cups and 17 Community Shields (most all-time). The team has been especially dominant since the advent of the Premier League in 1992. Manchester United has won 11 of the 17 available Premier League titles in that span, including the last three starting in 2007. United will have a chance to capture their record 19th Premier League, and unprecedented fourth consecutive title this weekend, as they currently sit one point behind league leaders Chelsea heading into the final match day of the 2009-2010 season.

The club has also been a force at the international level, having won three European championships with the 1968 European Cup and the 1999 and 2008 UEFA Champions Leagues. United is the only British team to have won a club world cup competition, having done so twice. United defeated Brazilian club Palmeiras to bring home the Intercontinental Cup in 1999 and defeated Ecuadorian team LDU Quito to win the FIFA Club World Cup in 2008. United is known for being the first European club to accomplish the “treble” in 1999, by winning their domestic league, domestic cup and European championship all in the same season.